Thoughts on Life, Love, Politics, Hypocrisy and Coming Out in Mid-Life

Sunday, November 18, 2012

The Imperial Life Style of Top Generals and Admirals

While rank and file troops often live in bare basics accommodations or far worse in the field, the military's top brass live a lifestyle akin to a Tsar or maharajah and, from the ones I have encountered locally often have an attitude that their you know what doesn't stink. One cannot help but ponder whether such an out of touch lifestyle doesn't impair their ability to care about their troops many of whom in the chain of command are treated as if their were members of India's untouchables versus Brahmins. If we need to cut military spending, let's start with the lavish perks of the top commands. A piece in the Washington Post looks ate the ridiculous luxuries and staffs these men outrageously enjoy. Here are highlights:

The commanders who lead the nation’s military services and those who oversee
troops around the world enjoy an array of perquisites befitting a billionaire,
including executive jets, palatial homes, drivers, security guards and aides to
carry their bags, press their uniforms and track their schedules in 10-minute
increments. Their food is prepared by gourmet chefs. If they want music with
their dinner parties, their staff can summon a string quartet or a choir.

The elite regional commanders who preside over large swaths of the planet
don’t have to settle for Gulfstream V jets. They each have a C-40, the military
equivalent of a Boeing 737, some of which are configured with beds.

Since Petraeus’s resignation, many have strained to understand how such a
celebrated general could have behaved so badly. Some have speculated that an
exhausting decade of war impaired his judgment. Others wondered if Petraeus was
never the Boy Scout he appeared to be. But [former Defense Secretary] Gates, who still possesses a modest
Kansan’s bemusement at Washington excess, has floated another theory. “There is something about a sense of entitlement and of having great power
that skews people’s judgment,” Gates said last week.

Other veteran commanders concurred with Gates. David Barno, a retired
three-star general who commanded U.S. troops in Afghanistan, warned in an
interview that the environment in which the top brass lives has the potential
“to become corrosive over time upon how they live their life.”

“You can become completely disconnected from the
way people live in the regular world — and even from the modest lifestyle of
others in the military,” Barno said. “When that happens, it’s not necessarily
healthy either for the military or the country.”

Although American generals have long enjoyed many perks — in World War II and
in Vietnam, some dined on china set atop linen tablecloths — the amenities
afforded to today’s military leaders are more lavish than anyone else in
government enjoys, save for the president.

Compared with today’s plutocrats, their pay is modest. In 2013, the base
salary for a four-star general with at least 38 years of service will be almost
$235,000, although federal personnel regulations limit their take-home pay to
$179,700. Unlike top civilians in government, top generals also receive free
housing and subsidies for food and uniforms. And when they retire, those who
have served at least 40 years get an annual pension that is slightly more than
active-duty base pay — this year it is $236,650.

But the frantic search for cuts to reduce the growth of government debt could
soon put some of the four-star benefits at risk. When he was at the Pentagon,
Gates wanted to trim some of the perks but ran into resistance. It was, he said,
the “third rail” of the Defense Department.

“You don’t need a cadre of people at your beck and call in an age of
austerity, unless you are a field commander in Iraq or Afghanistan,” a former
top aide to Gates said on the condition of anonymity.

I would further argue against such perks for those who have so poorly advised - or perhaps even lied to - leaders in Washington. Candidly, some of these a-holes need to spend a few days or a week at the front living like average troops, with no attendants and special meals, to help get their heads out of their pampered asses.

The GayOBX

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Out gay attorney in a committed relationship; formerly married and father of three wonderful children; sometime activist and political/news junkie; survived coming out in mid-life and hope to share my experiences and reflections with others.
In the career/professional realm, I have my own law firm - Michael B. Hamar, P.C. - and practice in the areas of real estate, estate planning (Wills, Trusts, Advanced Medical Directives, Financial Powers of Attorney, Durable Medical Powers of Attorney); business law and commercial transactions; formation of corporations and LLC's; and legal services to the gay, lesbian and transgender community, including birth certificate amendment.

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